Raisin-seeding machine



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Patented Feb 13, 1894;

ATTOHNEQ Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT. ()FFIC CHARLES W. THOMPSON, OF ANTRIM, NEWV HAMPSHIRE.

RAlSlN-SEEDING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,689, dated February 13, 1894. V v

7 Application filed December 16, 1892. Serial No. 455,404. [No model.)

To all whom it may concern:-

, work, and the-use of which will reduce to a minimum the loss of raisin flesh which apparently must inevitably occur in the employment of seeding machines.

My invention consists in various constructions and combinations of parts, hereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

I accomplish the desired results by mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- 1 Figure 1 is a longitudinal elevational view of a machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same, showing the crank removed. Fig. 3 is a transverse elevational view of part of the machine. Fig. etis a plan View of that section of the machine above a line indicated by arrowson Fig. 1 of the drawings. Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive, are detail views of parts of the machine information respecting which will be hereinafter fully given.

Like parts are indicated by similar letters of reference throughout the several views.

In the said drawings, Arepresents the main frame of the machine, on which the various working parts are supported. Bridging the two upright parts of the frame of the machine, and formed integral therewith is a cross piece or table B, resting upon which is a rotary plate or dial 0, adapted to support the raisins while the seeds are being separated therefrom, and firmly secured to the hub D, of a bevel gear Wheel E, the hub of which is mounted to be turned, in a bearing formed in the table B, and which gear wheel and dial are intermittently revolved for a purpose hereinafter disclosed, by teeth F, meshing with the said gear wheel, and formed on a segment of a wheel G, which'is mounted on a rotary shaft H, journaled in the frame of the machine, and provided with a crank I, to impart power to the entire working parts of the machine, as will be hereinafter clearly shown. The said dial has th'erein, formed in groups at equidistant points, and making a grate, perforations J, extending the whole thickness thereof,and into a group of which a single raisin is pressed to force its seeds into said perforations by a head K, of a pin L, rigidly driven into an arm'M, of a vertically reciprocatory slide N, moving on ways 0, formed on the frame of the machine, and mounted at the upper end of a rod P, which is mounted with a capacity for sliding, centrally in the hub and body of the gear wheel E, and which has tightly secured to its lower end a head Q,

slotted as at R, for the working therein to reciprocate the rod and its attachments, of a pin S, firmly fastened eccentrically to the retary wheel G. While a raisin is being pressed into the dials perforations, or while the dial is not moving, it is held from rotating by a lever T, which near its upper end enters notches U, made in the periphery of the dial, and which lever is fulcrumed to the frame of the machine and kept normally engaging the dial by a spiral spring V, connected with the lever and a pin W, secured to the frame of the machine. The said lever is caused to disengage the dial to permit the rotation thereof, by a pin X, rigidly secured to the hub of rotary wheel G, which pin operates against a curved projection Y, of the lever.

The pin head or press K, is encircled by a spring Z,which may be soldered thereto, and which extends under the press and engages the raisin to prevent its adhering to the press and thus lifted off the dial when the press rises. Said press operates 'while squeezing a raisin to force the seeds thereof into the dials perforations, but not the entire raisin, and when the press has retreated from the raisin, the latter lies on its support flattened somewhat, but with the most of its flesh at the top and outside of the supports perforations, in

consequence of the dial being very thin, and the raisin having been prevented from issuing downwardly-from the dials perforations by the table B.

The function of the machine next in order consists in separating the seeds I from the IOC pressed raisin now in the dials perforations, and I will proceed to describethe mechansm for attaining this purpose.

The vertical slide N, is provided with an additional arm A, to which may be secured seed punches B, adapted to penetrate the pressed raisin, enter the dials perforations and force the seeds therefrom, or, if perchance a seed in the raisin has not been previously caused to enter the perforations, to drive such seed therein. It is obvious that for practical use the seed punches must be of small diameter and set very near together, with the dials perforations to match. To prevent an excessiveamountoftheflesh of the raisinsfrom being driven through thcdials perforationsby the punches, and to prevent the seeds clinging to the punches after their descent is completed and they begin to rise, I employ springs D, secured to a strip E, formed upon the under side of the table B, which springs enter an orifice F, in said table, bear directly upon the under side of the dial and partly cover the perforations therein while the punches are piercing the raisin. It is easily understood that these springs yield to the influence of the seeds or seed punches, and engage the sides of the punches while they are entered therebetween, thus, preventing the seeds clinging tothepunchesduringtheirreturnand through bearing on the dial and partly covering the perforations thereof thus preventing the loss of much of the flesh of the raisin.

An arm G, attached to the frame of the machine, and provided with holes for the entrance therein of the seed punches, prevents the seedless raisin from being lifted off the dial by said punches, and the seedless raisin is discharged from the dial, by, during the rotation thereof,engaging a stationary scraper H, secured to the frame of the machine and extending over and bearing on the dial.

Having described in detail the construction of my machine, I will now state the method of its operation.

A raisin is placed on the dial immediately over a group of perforations therein, and power now imparted to the machine causes the dial to move and carry the raisin under the press. The dial now ceases its movement and the press descends and flattens the raisin and forces its seeds into the dials perforations. The press now commences to rise and the dial to move and carry the raisin into line with the seed punches. When the raisin has arrived under the seed punches the dial stops moving, and the punches now descend and pierce the raisin and drive the seeds through the dials perforations. The punches now, with the press which has in the meantime squeezed another raisin, begin their upward stroke, the dial is moved again, the seedless raisin separated from the dials perforations, and the operation of the machine is repeated.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a raisin-seeding-machinc, the combination, with a raisin support or grate provided with a group of perforations for the reception of the seeds, of a press for squeezing a raisin against said support or grate to force its seeds into the perforations thereof, and a spring for engaging with the pressed raisin to prevent the same adhering to said press, substantially as described.

2. In a raisin-seeding-machine, the combination, with a raisin support or grate pro vided with a group of perforations for the reception of the seeds, of a press for squeezing a raisin against said support or grate to force its seeds into the perforations thereof, a spring for engaging with the pressed raisin to prevent the same adhering to said press, and punches for penetrating the pressed raisin to expel the seeds' from said perforations, substantially as described.

3. In a raisin seeding machine, the combination, with a rotary dial having one or more groups of perforations forming a grate to re ceive the seeds, of a press for squeezing a raisin against said grate to force its seeds therein, a spring preventing the pressed raisin adhering to said press, and punches for piercing the pressed raisin to expel the seeds from said grate, the said rotary dial acting to trans fera raisin to said press and therefrom to said punches, substantially as described.

4. In a raisin seeding machine, the combination, with a raisin support or grate having a group of perforations for the reception of the raisin and its seeds,of atable for preventing the raisin flesh issuing from said perforations while being pressed therein, and a press for squeezing the raisin against said grate to force its seeds and flesh into the perforations thereof, substantially as described.

5. In a raisin seeding machine, the combination, with a raisin support or grate having a group of perforations for the reception of the raisin and its seeds, of atable for preventing the raisin flesh issuingfrom said perforations While being pressed therein, a press for squeezing a raisin against said grate to force its seeds and flesh into the perforations thereof, and seed extracting punches for penetrating the pressed raisin and driving the seeds from said grate, substantially as described.

6. In a raisin seeding machine, the combination, with a rotary dial having one or more groups of perforations forming a grate for the reception of the raisin and its seeds, of a table preventing the raisin flesh issuing from said perforations while being pressed therein, a press for squeezing the raisin against said grate to force its seeds and flesh into the perforations thereof, and punches for penetrating the pressed raisin and expelling its seeds from the grate, the said rotary dial acting to carry the raisin to the press and therefrom to the punches, substantially as described.

7. In a raisin seeding machine, the combination, with a raisin support or grate having a group of perforations for the reception of the raisin and its seeds, of a table preventing the raisin flesh issuing from said perforations while being pressed therein, a press for squeezing a raisin against said grate to force its seeds and flesh into the perforations thereof, seed expelling punches for penetrating the pressed raisin and driving the seeds from said perforations, and springs periodically cleaning those punches and also partly covering the perforations to preventloss of raisin flesh, substantially as described.

8. The intermittingly revolving dial 0, provided with a group of perforations J, forming a grate, in combination with reciprocating press K, reciprocating punches B, and stationary dial scraper H.

9. The rotary dial 0, having one or more groups of perforations J, forming a grate into which the raisin is pressed, in combination with press K, and stationary dial-scraper H.

10. The rotary dial 0, having one or more groups of perforations J forming a grate into which the seeds are forced from the raisin, in combination with punches B, and dialscraper H, 1

11. In a raisin-seedingmachine, the combi-- nation, with a raisin support or grate provided with a group of perforations for the reception'of the flesh and seeds of a raisin, of punches for piercing the raisin to drive its seeds into and from saidperforations, and

springs for engaging the said support or grate and. covering the perforations thereof to prevent an excessive amount of raisin flesh from ing therein of a raisin, and having secured thereto the gear-wheel E for intermittent engagement with said segmental teeth F to move the dial, the reciprocating rod P sliding centrally in said dial and having a slotted head Q in which the aforesaid eccentric pin S works to reciprocate said rod, and a single slide N, attached to said rod and provided with a press and punches for operating upon a raisin in connection with said dials perforations, substantially as specified.

14. In a raisin-seedingmachine, the combination, with the rotary shaft H, provided with the cam X and eccentric-pin S, of the intermittently rotary dial 0, having notches U, and one or more groups of perforations adapted for the pressing therein of a raisin, the reciprocating rod P sliding centrally in said dial and having a slotted head Q in which the aforesaid eccentric pin S works to reciprocate said rod, a single slide N, attached to said rod and provided with a press and punches for operating upon a raisin in connection with said dials perforations, and a spring actuated lever for entering said dial notches to prevent movement of the same, such lever being disengaged from the notches by engagement with cam X aforesaid, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES w. THOMPSON.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM E. ORAM, ELLIOT W. BAKER. 

